Growing up, I learned that there were times when it was best to give my dad maximum leeway. One example was anything involving the boat’s systems or electronics. While my dad has a Ph.D. in physics, electronics and systems were clunkier animals decades ago. Accessing information or troubleshooting often involved poorly written manuals.

Today, we have NMEA 2000 networking capabilities and Maretron’s WSV100 MConnect HTML 5 web server. They make it much easier to control onboard systems and devices, and to diagnose issues by tapping glass.

The past decade has seen numerous monitor, track and control systems introduced to the marine-electronics market. Maretron’s MConnect ($600) has one foot in this world: It provides the M and C, but it’s not “just” a troubleshooting tool. Instead, MConnect uses smart networking and clever software to give owners and captains access to more than 400 NMEA 2000 data points. The setup allows them to see—and sometimes control—what’s happening aboard their vessel via customizable graphical user interfaces. These interfaces can be accessed via compatible multifunction displays or any browser-enabled device, so long as the MConnect can share its data locally or with the internet.

In terms of hardware, MConnect’s black box is built out of ABS plastic with an aluminum backside that acts as a heat sink and has an IP67 water-ingress rating. Its overall dimensions measure 2.68-by-6-by-4.04 inches, which includes four screw-mount holes.

Connectivity-wise, each MConnect has two NMEA 2000 Micro-C ports, a serial port (users can switch between RS-485 and RS-232 protocols), a USB 3.0 port, an RJ45 Ethernet port and a power-cable port (9-30 volts). The power, Ethernet and both N2K connections each have dedicated LEDs that give at-a-glance status reports.

Additionally, MConnect systems have built-in Wi-Fi (2.4 gigahertz and 5 GHz) and Bluetooth (5.0 and BLE) capabilities, as well as HTML 5 web browsers.

MConnect’s N2K ports are designed to communicate with two discrete N2K networks. This allows users to connect a navigational network to one N2K port while connecting a vessel-monitoring network to the other. MConnect doesn’t bridge data between the two networks, but it does let users see data from different networks displayed on the same page.

Users have several options for networking, sharing and displaying MConnect-created user interfaces. For yachts that navigate using PCs, owners can connect a wireless router, such as Maretron’s E2500, to the MConnect’s Ethernet port and then access data wirelessly. (MConnect has built-in Wi-Fi that’s expected to be activated in a future software update.)

For yachts that navigate with a compatible multifunction display, owners can connect a nav display to MConnect via an Ethernet cable.

Or, for yacht owners who want to access MConnect data through an MFD and wireless devices, MConnect can be networked to the MFD via Ethernet, and a USB-to-Ethernet adapter can be plugged into the USB port and then networked with a wireless router. This option also opens the door to connecting MConnect with a yacht’s satellite-communications system.

Finally, users can network an MFD to MConnect via Ethernet and use the USB port to connect a 4G dongle, which supplies connectivity to the MConnect. This option—as well as networking schemes that involve the vessel’s satcom system—allows users to access MConnect data from anywhere using a wireless device and Maretron’s Telemetric Cloud Service.

MConnect users also can add a free Tailscale virtual private network to the system to ensure that onboard data remains secure.

“The majority of users will access the data locally via a compatible MFD, but we are seeing more and more remotely operated vessels looking at the MConnect as their solution for remote operation,” says Jim Catterall, Maretron business development manager.

Once MConnect is installed and networked, the web server takes NMEA PGNs (parameter group number, a code that identifies specific network data) and converts them into colorful and high-definition graphical user interfaces that are easy to customize and understand. These interfaces can be displayed on compatible and networked MFDs, as well as on any device with a browser. As many as four users can simultaneously access MConnect data; remote users need to install the Tailscale VPN onto their devices to access these graphical user interfaces.

Each MConnect has 87 screen components, which are like reusable building blocks—for example, buttons—that can be used to build a graphical user interface. Components include 72 out-of-the-box options and 15 user-defined options that let users add their own custom graphics. Users can, for example, build a page that displays engine data such as temperature, rpm and fuel-tank levels, with green, yellow and red zones on the gauges to best match a vessel’s characteristics. The overall idea is not just to customize how data can be viewed, but also to have at-a-glance views for whatever the yacht owner believes is most important to keep an eye on.

MConnect also can be integrated with a yacht’s N2K digital-switching systems, allowing users to create actionable scenarios. For example, users can create an underway mode, where MConnect monitors the engine-room temperature and automatically turns on the circuit breakers that control the engine-room fans.

Alternatively, users can leverage a digital-switching system to gain manual control over onboard systems. For example, in the description of the custom-built engine-data interface, they could add a virtual switch that allows them to control their engine-room fans manually.

Given that MConnect web servers can simultaneously access two independent N2K networks and 400-plus different N2K PGNs, it’s fair to say these systems have a wide sweet spot in terms of appropriate waterline. “The MConnect is designed to work on an MFD through HTML, so really, it’s suitable for all leisure yachts small and large,” Catterall says.

While there’s a lot of daylight between the size of a center-console and the span of a superyacht, it’s likely that the biggest common denominator among prospective MConnect users will be a desire to access vessel data in a user-friendly and graphically engaging way.

Overall, for yachtsmen who want real-time N2K data but don’t speak PGN, MConnect is ready to turn cumbersome codes into information-rich and engaging displays.

My regret after learning about everything this modern technology can do? That this kind of network whispering didn’t exist decades ago, when it would have meant a lot more sailing and far fewer headaches for my long-suffering dad.

Password Protected

MConnect users can set a password to protect custom configurations. However, if this password is lost or forgotten, users must send their MConnect to Maretron to be reimaged. This costs time, and the reimaging process erases everything. So, passwords must be stored safely.

The post Maretron MConnect appeared first on Yachting.

Boat-show season is the time when new-product announcements drop faster than daylight hours. This is great news for anyone looking to upgrade a boat’s electronics, and it’s also a chance to see all the fascinating ideas that have been percolating in companies’ R&D departments.

As you’re touring the docks and tents, keep an eye out for these products, which are all worth a closer look.

Fusion

While achieving playlist consensus can be tricky, all ears can agree that high-quality speakers outperform the low-end alternatives. Fusion’s Apollo speakers ($550 to $800) and subwoofers ($450 to $950) use redesigned motors and composite materials for everyone’s listening pleasure at higher volumes. Embedded dual-hue LED lighting, hexagonal-shaped tweeters and interchangeable grills enhance the onboard aesthetics. The coaxial speakers come in three sizes—6.5, 7.7 and 8.8 inches—and the subwoofers are available in 10- and 12-inch models. Apollo speakers and subwoofers have IP66/IP67 environmental ratings as well as marinized connectors, and are optimized to work with Fusion-built stereos.

Garmin

Seeing is believing, and Garmin’s GC 255 Flush Mount Camera makes it easier to believe that an approach to the dock will be successful. The GC 255 ($1,000) comes bundled in a stainless-steel body and delivers up to 1080p high-resolution imagery across a 160-by-90-degree field of view. It can present bird’s-eye, fish-eye or standard views, along with vessel-specific distance markers and customizable guidance lines that help to defang docking and close-quarters maneuvers. The GC 255 has an IPX7 rating, weighs 22.9 ounces, measures 3.2-by-3.2-by-3.3 inches, and has a plug-and-play setup with compatible Garmin-built multifunction displays.

JL Audio

This brand arrived at the fall shows with two new options for generating good times afloat. The MM55 ($400) provides full stereo control via its eight hard buttons, volume-control knob and 2.8-inch color screen, while the white-box MM55-HR ($350) networks with a compatible multifunction display or JL Audio-built controller for its user interface to provide a clean-looking helm. Both stereos support three audio zones, each with dedicated subwoofer outputs and independent or unified volume controls. They also sport built-in 100-watt amplifiers and digital AM/FM tuners. Additionally, both stereos have Bluetooth, USB 2.0 and NMEA 2000 connectivity, and come with auxiliary inputs for connecting external analog devices.

Lumitec

Visibility is paramount for safe anchoring and nocturnal operations. Lumitec’s Contour Masthead Combo Light is designed to ensure that a vessel can be seen from at least 3 nautical miles. The slim, lightweight light is available with an antenna mount ($250) or an Angler motorized base ($1,050) that raises and lowers the light as needed. Both versions have a 225-degree masthead light, a 360-degree anchor light and a 135-degree stern light that sit atop a 39-inch shaft. (Custom lengths are available.) Both are certified to US Coast Guard and National Marine Manufacturers Association standards.

Maretron

The WSV200 MConnect Web Server lets users take deep dives into their NMEA 2000 networks. Users can view graphically rich custom-built or pre-built user-interface screens for a wealth of vessel and systems data. Boaters also can access the MConnect Web Server ($600) while aboard using a compatible networked multifunction display, or from afar using embedded virtual private networks and any third-party device that has a web browser. Each MConnect can pair to two NMEA 2000 networks and more than 400 N2K data points. MConnect black boxes can also connect with digital-switching systems (third-party and Maretron-built systems), giving owners and three other users the ability to control and monitor systems and real-time information via a single platform. Additionally, each MConnect has an RJ45 Ethernet port, a USB 3.0 port and built-in Wi-Fi connectivity.

Sea.AI

Optical-based systems for collision avoidance are one of the most exciting instruments in years, but adding a full system can be redundant for boaters who already cruise with thermal-imaging cameras. Sea.AI’s Brain ($8,990) is a black-box system that processes imagery from a compatible thermal-imaging camera (one that conforms with the Open Network Video Interface Forum’s Profile S standards) and applies its embedded AI to detect nonwater objects in the video feed to provide warnings and alarms. Sea.AI’s Brain has three operating modes (collision avoidance, 360-degree surveillance and manual), and it’s compatible with Android, Apple iOS and Windows operating systems. Sea.AI’s Brain connects to a thermal-imaging camera via Ethernet, and it connects to a third-party device via Wi-Fi. Boaters use third-party software to display their camera’s video feed—plus Brain-detected targets and alarms—on their device.

Siren Marine

For years, connected-boat technology was mostly reserved for vessels with lengthy waterlines. This changed when Siren Marine introduced the Siren 3 for tenders and outboard-powered side rides. Each Siren 3 ($300) can network with six Siren-built wireless sensors (including bilge, high-water, entry and temperature sensors) via SirenWave, which is Siren Marine’s proprietary communications protocol. Additionally, each Siren 3 system can monitor one hard-wired battery, network with the boat’s NMEA 2000 backbone, and network with Yamaha’s Command Link network. Users can monitor all the information using a smartphone or smartwatch, and via the Siren Connected Boat app. Siren 3 is designed to be DIY or builder-installed, and it has a new internal antenna that makes it fit aboard smaller rides easier than its big brother, the Siren 3 Pro.

Tocaro Blue

Radars may be powerful sensors, but they can be challenging to read, especially for occasional users. Tocaro Blue’s Proteus Hub ($2,950) simplifies this task by connecting to a vessel’s NMEA 2000 data backbone and accessing networked radar and sensor data (depth, automatic identification system, heading and location information). Tocaro Blue’s ProteusCore software then applies AI machine learning to remove radar clutter and determine the nature of each target, such as buoys, markers and vessels. The system communicates with the radar to help optimize target detection, and it leverages the radar feed along with data from other networked sensors to predict the movement of its own vessel and all gathered targets over a 30-second horizon. This information is presented on a compatible multifunction display as a two-dimensional top-down map or a 3D view. Users can jump between views to find their best presentational fit.

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